This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

A Meta Analysis: The Effectiveness of the Use of Mobile Computers on the Attitude and Academic Outcomes of K-12 Students

Date

2005-08-15

Author

Cassil, Kathleen

Type of Degree

Dissertation

Department

Educational Foundations
Leadership and Technology

Abstract

Statistical meta analyses performed for this study included 32 primary studies conducted between 1993–2005. Two independent meta analyses were conducted regarding student attitudes and academic outcomes. The overall meta analysis mean by author was .23, indicating that student use of mobile computers had a small and positive effect on student attitudes and academic outcomes. The consistent pattern of positive effect size results indicated that student use of mobile computers was effective in improving student attitudes and academic outcomes. The small number of samples in the independent meta analyses suggests a need for further research regarding mobile computers. The overall meta analysis had three purposes. The first purpose was to assess the effectiveness of student use of mobile computers on attitude and academic outcomes. The second purpose was to explore the effect of specific demographic and methodological characteristics on the measures of effect size. The third purpose was to suggest new directions for research and practice in conducting and evaluating statistical meta-analyses. This dissertation was written as an alternative dissertation. Chapters one, two, three, and five follow a traditional format. Chapter four is comprised of three different but related potential journal articles addressing student use of mobile computers. Each potential journal article was written with advisement of a different committee member. The first is an independent statistical meta analyses of student attitudes. The second is an independent meta analysis of academic outcomes related to student use of mobile computers. The third article is a practitioner article. Submission of the articles for publication was required. Publication was not.